WNMU
Press Releases

IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 7/17/01

SILVER CITY—Native Grant Countian Virgina Rodriguez Manzano has been selected as the first Western New Mexico University Employee of the Month.

She was honored for her "excellence in service and performance."

Manzano joined the WNMU faculty in 1988 as the payroll assistance clerk. She is now the payroll manager for all faculty, staff and administration.

She grew up in Hurley and graduated from Cobre High School. She has attended classes at WNMU but her education is currently "on hold." She is also the person in the Business Office who has the most seniority.

Manzano and her husband Elizio "Lico", are the owners of Manzano’s RV Park in Arenas Valley. They have two children, Manny, who is married to Mindy Sapien and has two sons, Nathan and Alex, all of Riverside, Calif. and Victor who is currently working toward his Masters of Arts in Teaching at WNMU. Victor is a teacher at Bell School in Deming.

"This is a great honor," Manzano said of being named the first employee of the month. "that is even more wonderful because it was bestowed on me by my peers. I’m going to continue providing service to all of my coworkers at WNMU."

Manzano said her boss sent her to the Staff Senate meeting.

"She told me I needed to be there as the senators were going to be discussing contracts," Manzano said. "This was a total surprise."

A member of Our Lady of Fatima Church in Bayard, Manzano’s hobbies including reading, photography, gardening, and sewing.

The WNMU Staff Senate will honor an Employee of the Month every first Wednesday of the month. Each honoree will receive a day off, lunch for two to Diane’s Restaurant, and five meals at the WNMU cafeteria. She will also be eligible for the Employee of the Year award announced in December at the annual service awards banquet.